(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cathy Morrison. Daisylocks the daisy seed desires a better place to grow, so the wind whisks her around the world. However, each new habitat provides challenges: the polar habitat is too cold, the tropical rainforest too crowded. It's no surprise that her original home is "just right!" Although stiff and garishly colored, the illustrations are richly representative of the habitats, and the back matter is informative.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Color photos depict rescued aquatic animals being cared for in aquariums. Veterinarians, ichthyologists, and other aquatic biologists show how they care for and study injured salt- and fresh-water species before the text asks, "Would you like to work in an aquarium?" Awkward layouts and a distracting sandlike background detract from the appealing information. Facts, quizzes, and further information are appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by John Gomes. After discovery, Kali is transported to a wildlife vet and then to the Alaska Zoo where he learns to eat solid food, play with keepers and toys, and swim. Kali ultimately moves to a permanent home at the Buffalo Zoo and meets a female cub. The design is amateur, but the plentiful, close-up action photos are appealing. Additional information and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. A rhombus-torsoed mom and a rectangle-torsoed dad have a baby who resembles "both of her parents. She had four right angles and four equal sides." Geometrically varying relatives suggest names ("Parallelogram," "Quadrangle," etc.), but the giddy reader knows from the get-go that "Square" is the answer. The story is enlightening but uses nothing by way of artistry to get there. Activities are appended.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Simple sentences share basic facts about polar bears, penguins, and their habitats. The pages feel flimsy, but many of the color photographs are arresting. Potentially puzzling, the sentence "Down in the Antarctic, December occurs during summer and in sunshine" is illustrated with a photo featuring snow-capped mountains. Back matter includes "Polar Bear True or False" and a penguin matching activity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated with full-double-spread color photographs (some unfortunately hampered by the gutter), this is a lively exploration of beaver life. Holland reveals a wealth of information about these animals and the ways in which they are well-adapted to their unusual lives: e.g., their "see-through eyelids that serve as goggles" and hind-foot toenails used to "remove splinters from between their teeth." Denser additional information is appended.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Detwiler. The text examines the instinctual nature of some types of animals (such as caribou, salamanders, and horseshoe crabs) to move in large groups for reasons related to survival, including reproduction, food and water, and shelter. Brightly painted double-page-spread illustrations and large print make the book accessible but very cramped. More information is appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Simple text asks young readers if they could perform the various tasks of a zookeeper ("Could you give a baby moose a bottle or teach a lamb to walk on a leash?"). Appealing color photos show zoo favorites and less-familiar species, though some images are unfortunately obscured in the book's gutter. Additional information on zookeepers, zoo habitats, and wildlife conservation is appended.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 This book chronicles the development of a red fox from birth through the first few months of life. Close-up color photographs illustrate how fox kits interact with their mother, their littermates, and their environment. Some clumsy writing and a dull design weaken the presentation slightly. Back matter nicely expands on the information; readers are pointed to the publisher's website for cross-curricular activities.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sherry Rogers. A duck detective eliminates one animal suspect after another until he "quacks the case," deducing who stole a cake from a cake contest. In this story designed to introduce deductive reasoning, bad puns and misfired jokes get in the way of the narrative's agenda. The boldly colored illustrations will draw readers into the lesson. Two reasoning activities are appended.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) PS Illustrated by Kathleen Rietz. This cumulative poem in the style of "The House That Jack Built" explains--step by step--how a hive full of honey came to be hanging in "the tree that bear climbed." Handsome realistic artwork shows a close-up of each detail, from roots to honey, then depicts the whole tree with a touch of humor, as bear flees the angry bees. Includes activities and plant facts.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Appealing close-up photos of wild animal orphans being fed and doctored by specially trained people show how injured or abandoned creatures can thrive with extra intervention. The goal is to reintroduce them into the wild once they are physically fit. Large photos without busy backgrounds and limited text target younger audiences. Appended activities include more detailed information about caring for injured wildlife.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie O'Keefe. This story about how the destructive effects of a volcano are mitigated over time follows a gopher, whose natural digging behavior helps with the recovery of the habitat. Though the detailed art is realistic, the animals appear concerned then fearful as they run from the eruption. Information about volcanoes and tectonic plates, a quiz, and a couple of experiments are appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathleen Rietz. Twelve desert animals' bathing habits are described, including a roadrunner's dust bath, a scaled quail's ant bath, and a javelina's mud bath. The murky but realistic double-page illustrations show each animal’s technique and setting, from a vulture at dawn to a nocturnal coyote's activities. A fact page and five pages of activities (some good, some lacking) are appended.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin E. Hunter. This book is a division exercise enlivened with obscure names for collections of animals (e.g., a crash of rhinos). Each double-page spread features one animal grouping, a quatrain that poses the question ("How many in each leap [of frogs]?"), and an equation ("14÷2+?"). Colorful illustrations with saturated backgrounds suggest the answer, and four pages of interactive learning activities are appended.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cathy Morrison. This animal-themed book introduces analogies: "Amphibian is to frog / as mammal is to moose." Whether illustrating verbs or nouns, the crisp language features accurate syntax, and rhymes on the alternate pages work well. Vivid illustrations of animals in natural settings are eye-catching. Six pages of learning activities based on information in the book are appended.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Detwiler. Tiger chases a gibbon up a tree; Tiggy chases a spider off her porch. Cheetah stakes out her savannah territory; little Chessie scares a mouse in her house. This slight book explores the similarities between wild cat and domestic "little kitty" behavior; the richly colored illustrations reinforce cats' predatory nature, though the cutesy dialogue doesn't. Additional activities are appended.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christina Wald. "Let's spy in the backyard... / maples stretch, / bumblebees bump..." This simple introduction to habitats features over a dozen, including swamp, desert, mountain, and ocean. Bright realistic illustrations are accessible and engaging. The brief rhyming text is sometimes clever ("otters flip") and sometimes forced ("deer stride"); overall there's not much information imparted. Back matter delves deeper and suggests activities.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Erin E. Hunter. This insect-themed multiplication book features crisp, colorful illustrations, a rhyming text, and eleven equations. The accompanying quatrains, some more effective than others, prompt readers to solve questions: "Six sturdy soldier ants...each uses five small eyes. / How many eyes stand guard? 6 x 5 = ?" This slight cross-disciplinary effort ends with six pages of learning activities.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kirsten Carlson. Hirschi shows that seasons change in the ocean, too, as plants such as kelp and animals from humpback whales to zooplankton grow and develop throughout the year. The fluid prose too often sacrifices clarity in favor of literary devices. Realistic paintings illustrate the text. Reproducible "Food Web Cards" are included, and further expository text is appended.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver